What's your line-up for first game of the season?

I can see Clark or Baker starting at LB unless Luna's fitness is up to scratch and he's sorted his head and wants to be at the Villa. Luna looked great at the start of the season (that goal against Arsenal wasn't bad) but his fitness dropped off completely.

Well done CI for picking the best supply line behind the front man,

With our current squad Carruthers, Cole & Nzogbia would definitely be my choice to create the magic.

Providing Cole stays central he may suprise a few!

Nzogbia is a wide man, nothing else and best on left side which we have sadly not seen too much of in a Villa shirt

Carruthers every time i watch him (Which is only a handful tbf) shows potential, just needs a chance and i feel we have the makings of a danger man currently going to waste.

If we get the supply line correct who better to finish in Benteke's absence than the postman Darren Bent???

Cant pick starting eleven as we need a left back and i want something more than Delph & Westwood in the middle, i can dream  :) 

I can't stand 4-3-3 so won't even consider anything along those lines. Tried...and failed.

For me we need a solid back four that need decent protection from players that can tackle and play the ball out from the back. I know he got a lot of stick last season but El Ahmadi had one of the best tackling records in the league....he was just asked to do too much in a 3 man midfield that was constantly overwhelmed.

So:

--------------------------Guzan-------------------

--Lowton----Okore-----Vlaar-----fuck knows--

-----------KEA---------------Herd----------------

---Westwood---------Cole------------Delph-----

-------------------------Kozak-------------------

KEA would offer cover to that right back slot when Lowton goes bombing up the wing. Herd can do the same for Fuck Knows (probably Bennett). When we're in full defence, they can cover the CB's.

That'd leave the attacking/creative 3 to be just that. And if we're really dominating, it's an easy switch to a 4-4-1-1 with Delph sitting in just behind the striker.

Has senderos played much at right back before?

------------Guzan----------
Lowton---Vlaar---Okore---???
------------Westy--------------
Zoggy-------Cole------Delph
--------Kojak/----Bent-------
Weimann

Might leave us a bit open but hopefully we'd score a bit and create some bloody chances!!

Housebrick Bent behind the main striker?

Trotters wrote:Housebrick Bent behind the main striker?

No, 2 up top with Cole, Zoggy and Delph behind them. Kojak/Weimann/whoever next to Bent

Getcha!

I dunno about N'Zogbia. Can he be trusted to put in a shift? I'd give him 15 mins here and there to see. Don't think I'd give him a starting go. Just my 2 cents

Come to think on it, N'Zogbia (for me) perfectly epitomises the Lerner-era Villa.

Bought from a shitty team for probably too much and given too high a wage, he has all the potential in the world...and although he showed signs that he could be brilliant, he just disappointed over and over again yet we hope beyond hope that something can come good of it.

Always liked and rated Zog, but I do question his effort.

We've got players you could switch him with if he's looking lazy - Bacuna, Gabby, Grealish, Carruthers. I just think he'd relish a role behind a front 2, with the 3 I put there switching positions.

I think we'd struggle not to concede with my formation but we'd have much more about us going forwards, and Bent or Benteke would score loads next to a hard-working, workhorse type forward. Which I see Kojak being.

Our issues over the last two seasons were allowing our defence to be far too exposed. Three forwards that do next to nothing except wait for the three midfield to win the ball back from four or five of the opposition midfield explains why we consistently struggled in the possession stats.

We need to make it very hard for the opposition to pass it around or through us and 4-3-3 is a walk in the park for just about any team with the players we have.

Two lads who can tackle in front of the back four essentially gives us two teams on the pitch (defensive and offensive) - sorry to be Americanised. 6 defenders and 4 attackers as opposed to 4-3-3 where we have 4 defenders, 3 attackers and 3 blokes running around the middle chasing shadows.

Not yet got a definitive opinion about who to play but I have a worry that with the way he has been brought back into the frame and the way that Lowton drifted in and out of the picture last season Alan Hutton will be in Lambert's line up.

I even heard a transfer to WBA has even been blocked. You don't do that for your second choice right back when you have a budget as tiny as Lambert has.

I too am of the opinion that a 4321 formation is needed to provide additional cover for the defense- and to help increase numbers to keep from getting dominated in MF.

the problem is I dont believe we have the right players to play this formation...  but I would still try it anyway!    

...................Guzan...................
Bacuna.....Okore.....Vlaar.....KRichardson
..........Westy..........Clark..........
Delph..........Cole..........NZog
...............Weimann...............

Not sold on the wingers- but we dont really have much else.  We have 3-4 players who can play wide...  just not sure who the best 2 will be.  Obviously when Benteke returns he takes over as the target man.  KR is not truly a left back- he was better going forward...  but since our FBs bomb forward anyway- I figure Clark will slide back to form a 3 CB defense when we are attacking.

I am still hopeful that we bring in a LB/DM/AM...  ideally we need at least 2 of the 3 still.  My 2 cents...  UTV!

 

____________Guzan
__Hutton__Vlaar__Senderos__Baker
Weimann_Westy_Cole_Delph_Richardson
_______Bendtner/Bent

mickeywya wrote:____________Guzan
__Hutton__Vlaar__Senderos__Baker
Weimann_Westy_Cole_Delph_Richardson
_______Bendtner/Bent

You have 12 players there mate - well 11 plus Weimann

Amazed Gabby still gets in some peoples line up's. The guy is awful

I hope to go we dont park the bus with 5 at the back, but our manager is as anti football as they come so I expect him to. This would be my line up anyway

-----------------------Guzan----------------

Lowton--------Vlaar-----------Okore---------KR

--------------Delph-----------Gardner-------------

Zoggy----------------Grealish-----------------Tonev

---------------------Benteke-----------------------

Its time we have two players on the wings with pace who can run at players and make things happen.

cole can teach Grealsih, Senderdross it ever so slightly better back up than Clark and Okore.

Westy pushing GG for the midfield spot alongside Delph.

Benteke is number 1. in an ideal world Gabby will be sold

We will have to full backs who can attack, but cant defend

If Young and KI come in then we will improve.

We have to sell Baker, Hutton, herd, Bennett, Luna, Sylla, KEA though. Waste of space

mickeywya wrote:
____________Guzan
__Hutton__Vlaar__Senderos__Baker
Weimann_Westy_Cole_Delph_Richardson
_______Bendtner/Bent

You have 12 players there mate - well 11 plus Weimann Sad

Bendtner/Bent one or the other (Bent if we don't sign Bendtner)

Guzan
Hutton-Vlaar-Okore-Richardson
Bacuna-Westwood-Delph-N'Zogbia
Bent-Weimann

Or potentially a free role for Cole behind Bent but as long as we have full backs and wingers up and down the flanks supplying the forwards it doesn't really matter which

After getting a glimpse of the team over the last 2 pre-season games I'm going to say our best X11 would be,

Formation: 4-1-2-1-2 (4-4-2 Diamond)

Given

Hutton, Senderos, Vlaar, Richardson

Westwood

Bacuna, Grealish

N'Zogbia

Bent, Weimann

Subs: Guzan, Gabby, Tonev, Lowton, KEA, Bennet, Okore

| ------------------ B. Guzan ---------------- |
| ----- J. Okore - R. Vlaar - C. Clark ------- |
| A. Hutton - A. Westwood - K. Richardson |
| -------- G. Gardner - F. Delph ------------ |
| --------- D. Bent - A. Weimann ----------- |

Then during the second half look to swap one of the 3 Center Mids for N'Zogbia or Grealish to go 3-4-3 if we need something different.

Guzan

Hutton      Vlaar.     Senderos.      Okore  Richardson

.                           Westwood.              

       Nzogbia.        Cole.       Delph.

                           Bent

Guzan

Hutton Vlaar Okore Richardson

N'Zogbia Keane Lambert Grealish

Hendrie

Bent

On the basis of what we actually have available my team is below

Guzan
Hutton Vlaar Okore Richardson
Delph Gardener
Gabby Cole NZogbia
Bent

However i would obviously replace Bent with Benteke on his return

Would also like to see a bit more of Carruthers down the right wing once fit and able!